Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch. I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers. No earth on the corms. When should I plant them? Now, or spring? Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Thanks! -- Graeme |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:32:25 +0100, Graeme wrote:
Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch. I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers. No earth on the corms. When should I plant them? Now, or spring? Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Thanks! The latter although it's almost impossible to kill them. BTW I think they are now called Crocisma if you need to look them up, -- Jim S |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/2019 10:32, Graeme wrote:
Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch.Â* I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers.Â* No earth on the corms. When should I plant them?Â* Now, or spring?Â* Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Put them in the ground and leave the foliage to die away naturally. I doubt there is much that you can do to them that will stop them growing. They are almost indestructible. -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/2019 11:17, Jim S wrote:
On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:32:25 +0100, Graeme wrote: Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch. I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers. No earth on the corms. When should I plant them? Now, or spring? Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Thanks! The latter although it's almost impossible to kill them. BTW I think they are now called Crocisma if you need to look them up, Crocosmia x crocosmiflora, but montbretia is a perfectly acceptable vernacular name. -- SRH |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/19 11:17, Jim S wrote:
On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:32:25 +0100, Graeme wrote: Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch. I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers. No earth on the corms. When should I plant them? Now, or spring? Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Thanks! The latter although it's almost impossible to kill them. BTW I think they are now called Crocisma if you need to look them up, +1 If they are the true Montbretia they are a noxious weed, listed as a Schedule 9 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. I'm not sure how accurate this is (from https://www.invasiveweedsolutions.co.uk/invasive-weeds/non-native/montbretia/), but they state: - It is an offence to plant or allow to spread onto adjacent land and into the wild. - Possible fines and prison sentence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. - It is not an offence to have Montbretia on your land and you do not need to notify anyone on the presence of this species. - Soils containing Montbretia are classified as controlled waste and should be disposed of at licensed landfill. They spread by cormlets, and sometimes by seed. In my experience, even glyphosate has difficulty killing them (as it does with many plants which have a storage organ such as a bulb, e.g. Spanish Bluebell). If your neighbour still has them, keep an eye out for the leaves suddenly appearing in your garden. :-( -- Jeff |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/19 11:30, Martin Brown wrote:
On 24/09/2019 10:32, Graeme wrote: Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch.Â* I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers.Â* No earth on the corms. When should I plant them?Â* Now, or spring?Â* Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Put them in the ground and leave the foliage to die away naturally. I doubt there is much that you can do to them that will stop them growing. They are almost indestructible. That is a crazy suggestion - apart from it being illegal (see my reply to Jim S). Would you say the same thing if he had been given Japanese Knotweed?! The OP *must* not plant them. They need to be destroyed. -- Jeff |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/2019 12:24, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 24/09/19 11:17, Jim S wrote: On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:32:25 +0100, Graeme wrote: Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch.Â* I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers.Â* No earth on the corms. When should I plant them?Â* Now, or spring?Â* Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Thanks! The latter although it's almost impossible to kill them. BTW I think they are now called Crocisma if you need to look them up, +1 If they are the true Montbretia they are a noxious weed, listed as a Schedule 9 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. I'm not sure how accurate this is (from https://www.invasiveweedsolutions.co.uk/invasive-weeds/non-native/montbretia/), but they state: Â*- It is an offence to plant or allow to spread onto adjacent land and into the wild. Â*- Possible fines and prison sentence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Â*- It is not an offence to have Montbretia on your land and you do not need to notify anyone on the presence of this species. Â*- Soils containing Montbretia are classified as controlled waste and should be disposed of at licensed landfill. TBH I'm a bit surprised that it is in this list. It survives OK on my clay soil but daffodils and narcissi are both more invasive. They spread by cormlets, and sometimes by seed. In my experience, even glyphosate has difficulty killing them (as it does with many plants which have a storage organ such as a bulb, e.g. Spanish Bluebell). If your neighbour still has them, keep an eye out for the leaves suddenly appearing in your garden. :-( I have never seen it escape from gardens around here. Daffodils do! -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
In message , Jeff Layman
writes On 24/09/19 11:30, Martin Brown wrote: I doubt there is much that you can do to them that will stop them growing. They are almost indestructible. That is a crazy suggestion - apart from it being illegal (see my reply to Jim S). Would you say the same thing if he had been given Japanese Knotweed?! The OP *must* not plant them. They need to be destroyed. That seems a little extreme. The plants are for my own garden, not for planting out and about in random fields and hedgerows. They came from a neighbour, who is thinning (not removing) hers and, in 20 years here, I have never noticed the neighbour's plants spreading outside her garden. -- Graeme |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/2019 12:30, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 24/09/19 11:30, Martin Brown wrote: On 24/09/2019 10:32, Graeme wrote: Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch.Â* I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers.Â* No earth on the corms. When should I plant them?Â* Now, or spring?Â* Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Put them in the ground and leave the foliage to die away naturally. I doubt there is much that you can do to them that will stop them growing. They are almost indestructible. That is a crazy suggestion - apart from it being illegal (see my reply to Jim S). Would you say the same thing if he had been given Japanese Knotweed?! Japanese knotweed is actually seriously invasive. Although I recall from my youth that there seemed to be a less invasive cultivar growing in the Victorian garden of a big house I used to play at. A stand of it still persists in a nearby park. The big house has long since been demolished and all its land built on. I would never advocate planting it, but I think the risks it poses in a garden are being a little overhyped. Montbretia is nothing like so invasive at least where I have gardened. It might be more of a problem down south but it barely clings on here. Better coloured crocosmia cultivars are my choice anyway. The OP *must* not plant them. They need to be destroyed. That seems a little extreme. He certainly shouldn't plant them anywhere other than in his garden but they are nowhere near as bad as some truly invasive weeds. I note hotentot fig is also on the same list, but that is really only a problem on the well drained cliffs of Cornwall. It rots away completely in our grey wet winters in most other locations. I can just about keep close relatives of that stuff alive in a dry hanging basket along with other almost hardy succulents. -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
In message , Martin Brown
writes Montbretia is nothing like so invasive at least where I have gardened. It might be more of a problem down south but it barely clings on here. Seems to grow reasonably well here (Royal Deeside) but, as I said earlier, I have not noticed it invading this or other gardens despite our neighbour having quite a display. -- Graeme |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/2019 13:54, Graeme wrote:
In message , Martin Brown writes Montbretia is nothing like so invasive at least where I have gardened. It might be more of a problem down south but it barely clings on here. Seems to grow reasonably well here (Royal Deeside) but, as I said earlier, I have not noticed it invading this or other gardens despite our neighbour having quite a display. In my experience Crocosmia is persistent where established but not invasive. Lamiastrum galeobdolon argentatum is worse. And there are several weedy plants which have been expanding into the region. -- SRH |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
In article ,
Martin Brown wrote: On 24/09/2019 12:30, Jeff Layman wrote: Japanese knotweed is actually seriously invasive. Although I recall from my youth that there seemed to be a less invasive cultivar growing in the Victorian garden of a big house I used to play at. A stand of it still persists in a nearby park. The big house has long since been demolished and all its land built on. I would never advocate planting it, but I think the risks it poses in a garden are being a little overhyped. Japanese knotweed is a serious problem but, as far as I can discover, is the ONLY land plant which is more than a local nuisance. What the bureaucrats and English nationalist botanists don't say is that almost all of the UK ecologies are made up entirely of recently invasive plants. And, despite their dogmas, most distinctions between native and introduced plants in the UK are ecologically meaningless, and some are definitely scientific crap[*]. There is a HELL of a difference, ecologically, between merely invasive plants and those that exclude all others. And only Japanese knotweed falls into the latter category over most of the UK, with Rhododendron ponticum and possibly Himalayan balsam doing so in a very few locations. I have never seen Montbretia do that, but it might in even fewer locations. The same is not true for waterweeds. Schedule 9 has been abused by bureaucrats to introduce completely ridiculous rules. Montbretia doesn't like soggy conditions or hard frost, which is why it grows where it does in the wild. In other parts of the UK, it's not even invasive. [*] The most extreme I have seen are the bullace/beech distinction, and Russell lupin, but there are innumerable others that are classified by pure speculation. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/19 13:05, Graeme wrote:
In message , Jeff Layman writes On 24/09/19 11:30, Martin Brown wrote: I doubt there is much that you can do to them that will stop them growing. They are almost indestructible. That is a crazy suggestion - apart from it being illegal (see my reply to Jim S). Would you say the same thing if he had been given Japanese Knotweed?! The OP *must* not plant them. They need to be destroyed. That seems a little extreme. The plants are for my own garden, not for planting out and about in random fields and hedgerows. They came from a neighbour, who is thinning (not removing) hers and, in 20 years here, I have never noticed the neighbour's plants spreading outside her garden. Maybe the Wildlife and Countryside Act doesn't apply to Scotland. Even so, if you really would like a Crocosmia there are much better cultivars which are not invasive (according to the breeders). FWIW, I took me five years to eradicate Montbretia in our previous garden - and I had planted it without knowing what would happen! In our new place which we moved into seven years ago a small patch of it was already growing. I dug it out, but it came back, so I must have missed a corm. I removed that, and a small plant appeared the next year. That plant was removed, and for three years I didn't see it. This year, it appeared again. -- Jeff |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/2019 14:45, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 24/09/19 13:05, Graeme wrote: In message , Jeff Layman writes On 24/09/19 11:30, Martin Brown wrote: I doubt there is much that you can do to them that will stop them growing. They are almost indestructible. That is a crazy suggestion - apart from it being illegal (see my reply to Jim S). Would you say the same thing if he had been given Japanese Knotweed?! The OP *must* not plant them. They need to be destroyed. That seems a little extreme.Â* The plants are for my own garden, not for planting out and about in random fields and hedgerows.Â* They came from a neighbour, who is thinning (not removing) hers and, in 20 years here, I have never noticed the neighbour's plants spreading outside her garden. Maybe the Wildlife and Countryside Act doesn't apply to Scotland. Even so, if you really would like a Crocosmia there are much better cultivars which are not invasive (according to the breeders). FWIW, I took me five years to eradicate Montbretia in our previous garden - and I had planted it without knowing what would happen! In our new place which we moved into seven years ago a small patch of it was already growing. I dug it out, but it came back, so I must have missed a corm. I removed that, and a small plant appeared the next year. That plant was removed, and for three years I didn't see it. This year, it appeared again. But in that respect it is no different to foxglove, poppy or teasel. Once you have them in a garden they are pretty much there to stay. -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/19 12:31, Martin Brown wrote:
On 24/09/2019 12:24, Jeff Layman wrote: On 24/09/19 11:17, Jim S wrote: On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:32:25 +0100, Graeme wrote: Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch.Â* I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers.Â* No earth on the corms. When should I plant them?Â* Now, or spring?Â* Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Thanks! The latter although it's almost impossible to kill them. BTW I think they are now called Crocisma if you need to look them up, +1 If they are the true Montbretia they are a noxious weed, listed as a Schedule 9 species under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. I'm not sure how accurate this is (from https://www.invasiveweedsolutions.co.uk/invasive-weeds/non-native/montbretia/), but they state: Â*- It is an offence to plant or allow to spread onto adjacent land and into the wild. Â*- Possible fines and prison sentence under the Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981. Â*- It is not an offence to have Montbretia on your land and you do not need to notify anyone on the presence of this species. Â*- Soils containing Montbretia are classified as controlled waste and should be disposed of at licensed landfill. TBH I'm a bit surprised that it is in this list. It survives OK on my clay soil but daffodils and narcissi are both more invasive. Some daffs do seem a bit "vigorous", but they don't spread in the way that Montbretia does. They spread by cormlets, and sometimes by seed. In my experience, even glyphosate has difficulty killing them (as it does with many plants which have a storage organ such as a bulb, e.g. Spanish Bluebell). If your neighbour still has them, keep an eye out for the leaves suddenly appearing in your garden. :-( I have never seen it escape from gardens around here. Daffodils do! I don't know where you are, but I would guess anywhere south of a line from Bristol to London would be fair game for Montbretia, and I think that is why it has appeared in the CWA (see Chris Hogg's post). -- Jeff |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/19 14:50, Martin Brown wrote:
On 24/09/2019 14:45, Jeff Layman wrote: FWIW, I took me five years to eradicate Montbretia in our previous garden - and I had planted it without knowing what would happen! In our new place which we moved into seven years ago a small patch of it was already growing. I dug it out, but it came back, so I must have missed a corm. I removed that, and a small plant appeared the next year. That plant was removed, and for three years I didn't see it. This year, it appeared again. But in that respect it is no different to foxglove, poppy or teasel. Once you have them in a garden they are pretty much there to stay. There is a big difference between seed dispersal and vegetative spread. With any annual/biennial, or even perennial which reproduces by seed all you need do is deadhead for a couple of years (maybe more with poppies), and you've eradicated 99% of the problem. Trying to get rid of anything which spreads underground can be extremely difficult. I have a list of plants I will never grow again because on previous occasions they have spread uncontrollably by roots, rhizomes, or underground shoots. I've never grown any of the plants you've mentioned, and I've seen them in my garden only on very rare occasions, obviously blown in on the wind. -- Jeff |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/19 13:54, Graeme wrote:
In message , Martin Brown writes Montbretia is nothing like so invasive at least where I have gardened. It might be more of a problem down south but it barely clings on here. Seems to grow reasonably well here (Royal Deeside) but, as I said earlier, I have not noticed it invading this or other gardens despite our neighbour having quite a display. Are you sure it is *the* invasive Montbretia, or perhaps another variety which spreads slowly? -- Jeff |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/2019 14:52, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 24/09/19 12:31, Martin Brown wrote: On 24/09/2019 12:24, Jeff Layman wrote: TBH I'm a bit surprised that it is in this list. It survives OK on my clay soil but daffodils and narcissi are both more invasive. Some daffs do seem a bit "vigorous", but they don't spread in the way that Montbretia does. They spread by cormlets, and sometimes by seed. In my experience, even glyphosate has difficulty killing them (as it does with many plants which have a storage organ such as a bulb, e.g. Spanish Bluebell). If your neighbour still has them, keep an eye out for the leaves suddenly appearing in your garden. :-( I have never seen it escape from gardens around here. Daffodils do! I don't know where you are, but I would guess anywhere south of a line from Bristol to London would be fair game for Montbretia, and I think that is why it has appeared in the CWA (see Chris Hogg's post). North Yorkshire on heavy clay soil. Wet in winter which they don't like. -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote: On 24/09/19 13:54, Graeme wrote: In message , Martin Brown writes Montbretia is nothing like so invasive at least where I have gardened. It might be more of a problem down south but it barely clings on here. Seems to grow reasonably well here (Royal Deeside) but, as I said earlier, I have not noticed it invading this or other gardens despite our neighbour having quite a display. Are you sure it is *the* invasive Montbretia, or perhaps another variety which spreads slowly? The distinction is nugatory. Many or most of the garden hybrids are the same cross, and will spread in exactly the same way. My guess is that they will breed back to the wild form, in the same way that Primulas do, in places where they naturalise and set seed. That's one of the many reasons that legislation is so appalling. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
In message , Jeff Layman
writes On 24/09/19 13:05, Graeme wrote: Maybe the Wildlife and Countryside Act doesn't apply to Scotland. Even so, if you really would like a Crocosmia there are much better cultivars which are not invasive (according to the breeders). That I don't know. To be honest, I am only planting it because it was a gift, and looks attractive. FWIW, I took me five years to eradicate Montbretia in our previous garden - and I had planted it without knowing what would happen! In our new place which we moved into seven years ago a small patch of it was already growing. I dug it out, but it came back, so I must have missed a corm. I removed that, and a small plant appeared the next year. That plant was removed, and for three years I didn't see it. This year, it appeared again. Wow! -- Graeme |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
In message , Jeff Layman
writes On 24/09/19 13:54, Graeme wrote: Seems to grow reasonably well here (Royal Deeside) but, as I said earlier, I have not noticed it invading this or other gardens despite our neighbour having quite a display. Are you sure it is *the* invasive Montbretia, or perhaps another variety which spreads slowly? No, I'm not sure. Just going by images found using Google. I'll try to take a picture tomorrow. -- Graeme |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/19 16:42, Nick Maclaren wrote:
In article , Jeff Layman wrote: On 24/09/19 13:54, Graeme wrote: In message , Martin Brown writes Montbretia is nothing like so invasive at least where I have gardened. It might be more of a problem down south but it barely clings on here. Seems to grow reasonably well here (Royal Deeside) but, as I said earlier, I have not noticed it invading this or other gardens despite our neighbour having quite a display. Are you sure it is *the* invasive Montbretia, or perhaps another variety which spreads slowly? The distinction is nugatory. Many or most of the garden hybrids are the same cross, and will spread in exactly the same way. My guess is that they will breed back to the wild form, in the same way that Primulas do, in places where they naturalise and set seed. That's one of the many reasons that legislation is so appalling. Up to a point I agree with you - in the end it's all Crocosmia xxxxxxx. But there are, according to the breeders, crosses which are not as invasive as "Montbretia". I guess it depends on whether you believe them or not. I find many Crocosmias quite attractive, but I won't be planting them in case they spread. -- Jeff |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/19 12:51, Chris Hogg wrote:
On Tue, 24 Sep 2019 10:32:25 +0100, Graeme wrote: Morning all, Just been given Montbretia by a neighbour, thinning her patch. I have the corms, complete with greenery and even a few orange flowers. No earth on the corms. When should I plant them? Now, or spring? Should I cut off the growth, or just leave it to wither and die? Thanks! I wouldn't have them as a gift! I'm surprised they 'do' so far north. They're South African in origin. There are many quite hardy SA plants (particularly those from the Drakensberg Mountains). Although Montbretia's parents aren't from the Drakensbergs, it is said to be hardy to US zone 5. The wiki for Crocosmia x crocosmiiflora states at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crocosmia_%C3%97_crocosmiiflora#Invasive_species "It is widely naturalised in England and Scotland especially along the western seaboard from Cornwall north all the way to Sutherland. ", so that confirms it should be hardy in Aberdeenshire. Two points: Down here in Cornwall, they grow wild in hedgerows and on rough uncultivated land, _everywhere_. I am not at all surprised; the wiki for Crocosmia notes that x crocosmiiflora is "naturalised in parts of Europe, Rwanda, Zaire, Assam, Norfolk Island in Australia, Fiji, the Caribbean, Argentina, Tristan da Cunha (C. aurea × C. pottsii)". It is deemed as "invasive" in New Zealand and California. If you really want a Crocosmia, there are much more attractive and better behaved ones. Are those the ones made from silk?... ;-) -- Jeff |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
In article ,
Jeff Layman wrote: Up to a point I agree with you - in the end it's all Crocosmia xxxxxxx. But there are, according to the breeders, crosses which are not as invasive as "Montbretia". I guess it depends on whether you believe them or not. I find many Crocosmias quite attractive, but I won't be planting them in case they spread. Well, they would say that, wouldn't they? I have several, and some spread gently whereas others fade away, but none are invasive and (despite them setting seed), I have never had a seedling. I cannot say the same about several plants NOT on that list. This is near Cambridge. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 24/09/2019 14:45, Jeff Layman wrote:
On 24/09/19 13:05, Graeme wrote: In message , Jeff Layman writes On 24/09/19 11:30, Martin Brown wrote: I doubt there is much that you can do to them that will stop them growing. They are almost indestructible. That is a crazy suggestion - apart from it being illegal (see my reply to Jim S). Would you say the same thing if he had been given Japanese Knotweed?! The OP *must* not plant them. They need to be destroyed. That seems a little extreme.Â* The plants are for my own garden, not for planting out and about in random fields and hedgerows.Â* They came from a neighbour, who is thinning (not removing) hers and, in 20 years here, I have never noticed the neighbour's plants spreading outside her garden. Maybe the Wildlife and Countryside Act doesn't apply to Scotland. Even so, if you really would like a Crocosmia there are much better cultivars which are not invasive (according to the breeders). I have just been to have a look at the nearest place with Montbretia. I know it was planted in 2007 when the Village Hall patio was completed and started in a 5" pot. It is so invasive that the clump is now a whopping 1m across after 12 growing seasons. It was planted through weed membrane and mulched with plum slate which limits its expansion. No incursions into the neighbouring field either which is more than can be said of the snowdrops and daffodils which have spread to the other side of the fence. A decade is plenty long enough for bulbs from seed to mature to flowering even in harsh adverse conditions grazed by beast. FWIW, I took me five years to eradicate Montbretia in our previous garden - and I had planted it without knowing what would happen! In our new place which we moved into seven years ago a small patch of it was already growing. I dug it out, but it came back, so I must have missed a corm. I removed that, and a small plant appeared the next year. That plant was removed, and for three years I didn't see it. This year, it appeared again. I have never tried to eradicate it. But in another garden where I sometimes work it can barely hold its own against Lilly of the Valley or Paeony Rose. I wouldn't class that as invasive compared to Ground Elder. I'm with Nick - the legislation is appalling. Some of these species are invasive and a big problem in the mildest parts of the country with the right soil but some of them are actually well behaved compared to lots of other potentially invasive plants that are not on the list. Incidentally on that weeds website where in the UK is goldenrod a serious weed? I know it causes problem for hayfever sufferers. And why isn't the toxic to horses Ragwort (aka Senecio Jacobaea) on it? (that is becoming an increasing problem on grazing land round here) -- Regards, Martin Brown |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
On 25/09/2019 11:02, Martin Brown wrote:
On 24/09/2019 14:45, Jeff Layman wrote: On 24/09/19 13:05, Graeme wrote: In message , Jeff Layman writes On 24/09/19 11:30, Martin Brown wrote: I doubt there is much that you can do to them that will stop them growing. They are almost indestructible. That is a crazy suggestion - apart from it being illegal (see my reply to Jim S). Would you say the same thing if he had been given Japanese Knotweed?! The OP *must* not plant them. They need to be destroyed. That seems a little extreme.Â* The plants are for my own garden, not for planting out and about in random fields and hedgerows.Â* They came from a neighbour, who is thinning (not removing) hers and, in 20 years here, I have never noticed the neighbour's plants spreading outside her garden. Maybe the Wildlife and Countryside Act doesn't apply to Scotland. Even so, if you really would like a Crocosmia there are much better cultivars which are not invasive (according to the breeders). I have just been to have a look at the nearest place with Montbretia. I know it was planted in 2007 when the Village Hall patio was completed and started in a 5" pot. It is so invasive that the clump is now a whopping 1m across after 12 growing seasons. It was planted through weed membrane and mulched with plum slate which limits its expansion. No incursions into the neighbouring field either which is more than can be said of the snowdrops and daffodils which have spread to the other side of the fence. A decade is plenty long enough for bulbs from seed to mature to flowering even in harsh adverse conditions grazed by beast. FWIW, I took me five years to eradicate Montbretia in our previous garden - and I had planted it without knowing what would happen! In our new place which we moved into seven years ago a small patch of it was already growing. I dug it out, but it came back, so I must have missed a corm. I removed that, and a small plant appeared the next year. That plant was removed, and for three years I didn't see it. This year, it appeared again. I have never tried to eradicate it. But in another garden where I sometimes work it can barely hold its own against Lilly of the Valley or Paeony Rose. I wouldn't class that as invasive compared to Ground Elder. I'm with Nick - the legislation is appalling. Some of these species are invasive and a big problem in the mildest parts of the country with the right soil but some of them are actually well behaved compared to lots of other potentially invasive plants that are not on the list. Incidentally on that weeds website where in the UK is goldenrod a serious weed? I know it causes problem for hayfever sufferers. It might not be serious round here, but it's more invasive that montbretia; Solidago gigantea forms large colonies. And why isn't the toxic to horses Ragwort (aka Senecio Jacobaea) on it? (that is becoming an increasing problem on grazing land round here) Ragwort (and broad-leaved dock and curled dock and creeping thistle and spear thistle) is on another lost - the Weeds Act of 1959. -- SRH |
Montbretia (Aberdeenshire)
In article ,
Stewart Robert Hinsley wrote: On 25/09/2019 11:02, Martin Brown wrote: And why isn't the toxic to horses Ragwort (aka Senecio Jacobaea) on it? (that is becoming an increasing problem on grazing land round here) Ragwort (and broad-leaved dock and curled dock and creeping thistle and spear thistle) is on another lost - the Weeds Act of 1959. That was entirely about stopping poor farmers from causing trouble to their neighbours' grazing land. Ragwort infestations, especially, are almost always caused by using land exclusively for grazing horses. My guess is that the reason they didn't include couch grass, nettles etc. is that they don't spread into grazing land by seed. As far as I know, it's still in force, though hasn't been enforced for many decades. Regards, Nick Maclaren. |
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